The Simple yet Unexpected Path to Becoming a Bestseller

Being a bestseller means different things to different people. I’m not being evasive here, I’m being honest. And the first thing you need to do is define it for yourself, or you’re never going to get there.

For instance, launching your book onto the New York Times Bestseller list in your category probably means having a very organized strategy with a sizable investment of love, dedication, time and money in order to catapult your career.

Or being a bestseller could mean snowballing your book sales until you’re recognized by lists, contests, awards and the media that you admire. This means having the courage to voice something that a population of people are feeling but nobody else is saying.

Or being a bestseller could mean staying within the top twenty titles of your Amazon category for years because you really understand readers in your micro-genre and are able to make a consistent income that supports your family by doing what you love.

Each of these definitions of “bestseller” requires a concerted marketing effort, but even more than that they require that you resonate with the readers you want to reach.  The best, most sustainable form of marketing is word of mouth; when people who love your book tell other like-minded people about it.  

The fact is you're going to get better and better at similar skills in order to navigate your path. First, you get better at your craft, and then you get better at marketing, and then you get even better at your craft, and then you get even better at marketing, and so on. Pain comes when you're holding yourself to some sort of elusive standard. You will "level up" when you can define the specific goal you're going after. Being rich and famous is an ambiguous goal.  Having your third novel hit the top of the Regency Romance category is a specific goal. The specificity is what makes it fulfilling. You know what you want and you know what that means.

First, ask yourself the question, “What do I want?” at least three times fast. Don’t censor yourself. Look for the answers behind the answers. Once you have everything on paper, start asking yourself “Why do I want that?” in the same rapid-fire manner.

At first, the answers may seem shallow or generic and that’s okay. Keep going. Your soul work is to take the generic answers and figure out what they mean.

For instance, what starts as, “I want to be a famous millionaire,” might actually translate into something more specific like, “Actually, I enjoy my day job. It pays well and my friends are there. However, I want to cut back to part-time so I can focus on a fantasy fiction series I’m dreaming up. I’ve watched authors I love leap to great success, and I want to get started now. I can use my vacation time to go to conferences and network with authors I admire.”

That’s a really nice life and it doesn’t include the pressures of becoming a famous millionaire.

Or maybe, “I just to get away from it all,” becomes “I would love to buy a house in a small town close to water. I want to have my mornings free to take long walks and write poetry and then be able to teach in the afternoon, so I feel like I’m making a genuine connection to the world.”

Also a very nice life. Having clarity about what you want is more valuable than winning the lottery because when you know what you want it drastically increases your chances of getting it.